Basildon University Hospital: Inspectors find 'poor staff culture'

Inspectors found a "long-standing poor staff culture had created an ineffective team" at an NHS hospital's struggling maternity unit.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the unit at Basildon University Hospital in Essex "inadequate".

It demanded safety improvements after a string of incidents, including one where a woman bled to death in childbirth.

The trust that runs the hospital said it had taken "immediate action".

The CQC identified "several serious concerns" during its unannounced inspection on 18 September, which came after the department received its warning in June.

It said the unit did not always have enough staff to keep women safe and "staff did not identify and escalate safety concerns appropriately".

The CQC said the "long-standing poor staff culture had created an ineffective team where doctors, midwives and other healthcare professionals did not support each other to provide good care".

It said maternity services at the hospital remained "inadequate" overall.

Professor Ted Baker, the CQC's chief inspector of hospitals, expressed disappointment that the staff culture was still affecting women's care.

He said staff were "welcoming, friendly and helpful", but many had safety concerns.

Following the inspection, conditions were placed on the trust's registration to ensure mothers and babies had access to "safe, effective and personalised care".

Prof Baker said the CQC would "continue to monitor progress closely" and "inspect again to check the necessary improvements have been made".

Stephanie Prior, head of medical negligence at law firm Osbornes Law, which represents a number of clients claiming negligence at the hospital, said it was "devastating" that the maternity unit was "still failing to put in place the changes that are desperately needed to safeguard women and their babies".

"Urgent action must be taken to prevent more mothers and babies from having their lives blighted by the shocking levels of ineptitude we have seen in recent years," she added.

Clare Panniker, chief executive for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Our robust improvement plan includes introducing extra consultant cover, putting additional leadership in place to support staff, improving staffing levels and working more closely with expectant and new mums so we can deliver a service that meets their needs."

Diane Sarkar, chief nursing officer at the trust, said: "We've continued to make improvements for the women in our care... these improvements do take time to make sure they're embedded in practice and that they're sustained.

"I'd like to reassure women that they are safe and they should be confident in the care that our fantastic staff do provide.

"We recognised that we needed to make improvements and we've made lots... and we continue to make improvements."

She said the trust had reported back to the CQC on steps it had taken on 9 November and would continue to report back monthly.

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